


An Engagement

by nev_longbottom



Series: Drunk Wrote it on the 2011 Norsekink meme [2]
Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Femdom, Gender Role Reversal, Mpreg, Narnia crossover, i have no memory of this place
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-27
Updated: 2011-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-13 01:41:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29893707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nev_longbottom/pseuds/nev_longbottom
Summary: Sequel to A Courtship.Sif and Loki appeal for her marriage suit to Odin.Crossposting the incomplete w.i.p. from the kinkmeme.
Relationships: Loki/Sif (Marvel)
Series: Drunk Wrote it on the 2011 Norsekink meme [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2197917
Kudos: 2





	An Engagement

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is incomplete and I'm not planning to finish it, but if you want to do that, you can! Feel free to adopt this fic if you wish to do so and make your own version.
> 
> This is just straight copy and pasted from the kinkmeme. Apologies for the errors, no fucks were given and the fuck field remains barren to this day.

Loki watched Sif walk into the courtyard and spot him right away. There were half a dozen girls trying to converse with his astral projection, all of them too foolish to realize Loki would never stand in a courtyard to bask in the sun. Sif though, Sif rolled her eyes and ignored the illusion. She walked over to his partial shapeshift of a tree and scratched her nails along a branch.

Loki faded his shift with the feel of her nails in his skin. The sting made warm and he could feel his face flush. “Sif,” he said. He must have been there longer than he thought he could not stop himself from leaning towards her. He felt off balance, as if his insides were wood and he weakened without the skin to drew in the sun.

She grumbled as she pulled his branches out of the air and pressed them against side side where they belonged. He hadn't even noticed that his branches - no, his arms - had been left in the air. “Look at you Loki. Always hiding. Making messes. Must I always save you from yourself?” She stood far too close to him for it to be proper but he cared not. Their scandal was known well enough and Loki did so love the attention.  
He leaned against her and pressed his face into her hair. “I wouldn’t want to bore you.” he mumbled and pressed the soft pads of his finger tips just below the edge of her armored tunic. He heard her breath hitch for a moment and then she pushed his hand away.

“Control yourself, Loki,” she said. “You know our rules. You may not touch without permission.” Yes, their rules. Rules for how far they could push each other, negotiated in the lee of his favorite thinking stone. She could put him in his place. He could demand her attention. Most importantly, they would both follow the chastity encouraged in courtship for their sake. Any evidence that they were treating this as an jest or a lark could be grounds for Odin to dismiss the suit. That meant he could not touch her by courting rules. It was normally not a difficult rule but normally Loki did not have insides made of woodpulp.

Loki coughed into her neck. “I hope that does not apply to leaning. I do not think I can manage without my spellwork.” He had runes painted to his legs, to make his soul root down like a Rowan would. It was a strange sensation that hadn't worn off when he disolved his illusion/shapeshift, and he wasn't sure he could move himself from the spot.

“You can always lean on me, Loki,” she said. He couldn't see her face but he hope she looked as sincere as she sounded. She would. Sif was disgustingly honest. “I have collected the bride-price and I will speak to the All-Father. We will have our day," she said. "You'll be pleased. There is more than enough trinkets to amuse you."

Loki smiled into her hair and felt her body beneath him nearly bounce with anticipation."Mmm," he hummed and tried to left one leg from the ground. it would not bend so he was forced to shuffle closer to Sif without raising his feet.

“You should not begin your shapeshifting with trees,” She chided. “Would beasts not be easier on your weaker frame?

Before he could stop himself, he remembered the feeling of being terrified and running as fast as he could on unfamiliar hooves, in hopes the distraction would save from disgrace. He could feel Svaoilfari's weigh press down on his back and he took deep a deep breath to ground him back to himself, his body, to now and not then.

“Remind me to tell you what happened when my parents sent me away for the year. There is a reason I do not shift beasts,”he said. He had loved shifting animals before then. He had felt so free as a child. Now he felt- He felt like the only things that held his world were Sif and his family.

Sif took a step back, raising her hands to his shoulders for Loki to balance, but he could only lean forward. “I think you need the healing chambers. How strange it is that I must carry you for once, My Prince.” She leaned to the side and scooped him over her shoulder in a neat lift that had been almost too fast to be seen.

The movement pulled the attention away from his illusion. When the pretty Aesir girls looked at the real Loki, he twitched his nose to dissolve the illusion. His branches weren't quite functional yet. Arms? Branches.

Sif invited Loki to see the bride price when he recovered. He entered her home and was lead to the dance hall he had never entered.

“They bought these chambers in hopes that they could throw balls for their daughters in the dance hall,” Sif’s mouth twitched as if she was going to smirk. “Now look.” She tugged the double doors open to reveal a room as large as the banquet hall nearly filled with gold to his waist. The pile trickled down, leaving a small space for him to stop into the room, but in other placed it reached near the ceiling. Coins from all the realms, mostly gold with a few other colors in spots, made up the majority of the treasure but there was so much more. Bejeweled daggers, swords, armor, statues, sculptures, emeralds, stones, opals.... Most things than he could count.

“How did you..” Loki trailed off and stared. They had waited for a long time, using their courting time to gather gold between them, but there was no way Sif could have collected so much.

Sif stepped beside him and grasped his wrist. “Well, my father is fond of you. He thinks this is a good match. Then, there was the pact...that helped.”

Loki’s eyebrows shot up of their own accord. When they were children, Sif, Fandral, Volstagg, Hogun and Thor had promised to help each defeat monsters, evade mothers, slay the Jotun, and assist with raising a bride price. Thor had been insistent of the Jotun, it had been Volstagg who craved brides, Fandral with his fear of his mother and Sif who had demanded a crew of monster fighters. Hogun had gone along with it as he did, casually agreeable to the world.

“My brother helped you?” Loki could scarcely believe it.

Sif tugged him close. “He still believes it to be an intricate plan, but you know Thor. Any excuse for a battle.” Thor dove into any battle with exuberance but not Sif. Not his clever Sif who would think first, calculate odds and then go in with weapons and plans. Not tidy orderly Sif who polished her armor in the same direction and skinned all her with a narrow focus and careful hands so that no blood spilled on her leather jerkin.

He lift his arm so he could see Sif’s hold in him more clearly. Her nails were trimmed neatly, but there were spots where battle had left dents in places and cuts along her nailbed. She had a set of light freckles along the back of her palm and her knuckled were thick with callouses. Even with all the marks of war, maintained impeccable grooming. Sif was amazing. Sif was all the order in the universe waiting to put Loki in his place.

“Sif, we could always run off to a life of sin. Elope in Midgard. If we do this here, you can’t get rid of me and everyone shall know,” he said. He smiled though. He didn’t believe she would, she knew she was far more possessive than himself. He wanted the grandeur of a wedding and a feast so grand they would have to steal Hymir’s cauldron just to brew enough beer.

He could see them in a whole new set of chambers, tucking into the cool shadow of Asgard’s mountains. He would have the peace to create as much magic and do as much spying on Asgard’s behalf as he would like, and Sif could train her own legion of warriors for the kingdom instead of simply running around with the Blunders Three like a group of highwaymen. As a matched pair, they would be adults and they could make a world together around each others lives.

He met Sif’s gaze and wondered everyone fussed about Thor’s eyes. He always had a vacant stare like a drugged goat. Sif had the most perfect color of blue - like the sky above the oceans of Midgard. “We are going to be wonderful together,” he said.

Sif smiled her warm precised smile and pats Loki on the cheek with her free hand. “Oh, Loki,” she murmured. “When it comes to yourself you are as quick witted as Thor.”

They met with Odin in their shared family Chambers. Odin rested beside Frigga in an alcove overlooking Asgard. The sun glowed soft orange and yellow across the sky and the Rainbow Bridge looked like a streak of paint over the glass. This was where his parents retired at the end of the day. When he was a child, Thor and Loki would climb on their parents like little monkeys and beg for bedtime tales.

“Son,” Odin said, voice soft and fond. “You asked to meet with me?” The phrase made Loki relax from under Sif’s tight grasp. Had it been an official setting or had his father thought it official, he would have asked if Loki had been there to see the All Father.

Sif didn’t know this was how his father spoke, in nuances and soft gestures. She was nervous. Loki could tell from the way she kept squeezing and releasing her grip on his wrist. Her smile, normally bright, was replaced by lips pressed in firm determination.

Loki nodded.

Sif released him and then knelt at Odin’s feet. Frigga blinked and then immediately switched her gaze towards Loki, studying him intently. His mother had always been so much better at reading him. Where Odin would heap praise on Thor and spoil Loki with gifts, Frigga would heal Thor’s wounds and listen to all the words Loki couldn’t say. He knew that as long his parents believed this engagement wasn’t a jest, they would allow the marriage to go forth. At least, he hoped. Father had always playfully threatened to lock his sons in a tower for their own protection if they were inclined towards men. At Loki hoped it was playful.

“Odin son of Bor, I come so ask for your second son’s marriage. I come bearing over five thousand hudraos of gold, over two thousand hudraos of silver, and enough jewels to fill your smallest sitting room.” Sif lowered her eyes to the ground. “I would buy him the finest Chambers in Asgard aside from your own. I would keep him in pretty cloths and spells to keep him pleased. I would bring him all the joy in Asgard for he has given that joy to me. I humbly ask that you grant my petition for marriage.”

“Our petition,” Loki interjected. He hoped his words would bring his parents at ease, but Frigga looked shocked at best and his father had his carefully blank expression. The one Loki had seen time and time again when dealing with court situations and with the outcome of Loki’s wilder pranks. Perhaps he should not have played so many engagement pranks in his youth before the incident. Pretending to have been in love with a she-wolf might have been going too far, and now he paid the price.

“Children,” Odin said slowly. “This prank ceases to be amusing.” He flicked one of his hands to indicate that Sif rise and then he folded his arms.

Sif scrambled to her feet. Loki broke their rules, reaching out to hold her to his side. She trembled slightly. “I have slain his most hated enemy-”

Frigga gasped. “You slayed Svaoilfari?”

Loki flinched and focused very carefully on the feeling of Sif’s armor. He still had not told her.

Sif did not allow Frigga’s interjection to phase her and she continued, “Brock the dwarf. I have won nearly three hundred duels on his behalf. We have been courting for two of Midgard’s Ages. I can show you the bride-price we have collected-”

“No need.” Odin said, each word heavy with annoyance. “I will not participate in your ridiculous game. Having a woman petition for you to join her house. This farce was amusing when it was to enrage the youth but I would not have allowed it to continue had I known you would try to involve me.” His expression darken and Loki nearly regretted all the tricks he had played on his father. Only nearly.

Frigga carefully placed a hand on Odin’s shoulder, causing him to stop mid-phrase and turn towards her. ”Beloved,” she said. “I do not think they jest. Look at them.”

Loki stood a little straighter when his father turned his All-Seeing Dye back upon them. He felt Sif’s left hand reach down and thread her fingers with his own on her waist. He took a step closer to her, leaning against her back so that he could place a kiss on the rim of her ear and whisper, “I told you Mother liked you.”

“Husband dear,” Frigga said, squeezing Odin’s hand in the way Loki knew reassured his father. “There are men who pay the bride-price of men and women who pay the bride-price of women. Is this truly a step so far? They have been courting a very long time.” Loki had actually never outright told Frigga, in case their relationship ceased to be amusing or seemed shallow, but somehow in his complaints and sighs over Sif, his mother had read his heart.

Odin huffed in a grumpy manner. “If it is true, I don’t see why I should say yes. How can I trust Loki to her if they only now come forth to announce their courtship.”

Loki didn’t know how his father always managed to make him feel like he was six years old and needed to stamp his feet to be heard, but somehow Odin always managed, “I told you a million times that I wasn’t jesting!”

Odin growled at him, not even being able to form words in his frustration. Loki growled right back. He may have gotten most of his mother’s manuerisms but he wasn’t afraid to look his father in the eye and demand the wedding he wanted.

Frigga tossed her hands in the air. “Must you do that? Growling is not an appropriate answer to anything.” She got off the love seat and glared down at her husband. “You’ve watched Sif age as she played with our children. You’ve called her a fine warrior many times and expressed hope that Thor would ask her to be his bride. You said you would be honored to have such a grand warrior as a daughter in law and you would grant Thor’s request to pay for a bride -price in an instant. Since when are you a hypocrite, Odin?”

Odin slumped his shoulders in defeat. Loki could scarcely believe his eyes. He hadn’t expected him to give in so quickly. He was sure he’d have to elope with Sif in Midgard if not deal with the worst case scenario, actually being locked in a tower. “Please, Father?” He said softly. “We feel for each other greatly.”

Odin growled again until Frigga kicked his ankle. “Fine,” he snapped. “You two have my blessing to marry but Loki does not leave the House of Odin and I expect a grandchild. I would like to be alone now,” he added, and Loki nearly rolled his eyes at his father’s perpetual sulking but then he felt Sif reach around his neck and pull him down towards her for a kiss.

“We are to be wed,” Sif said, and then she laughed her joy, hugging Loki until he hugged her back. He felt a huge rush of relief and he knew in his heart that everyting would be fine when she reached up to kiss him again, only this time scratching at his scalp until he sighed.

Odin grumbled from his seat. “With the stress between you and the Norn Queen, I’ll fall into Odinsleep before the wedding.”

Frigga hugged both Loki and Sif, laughing as she joined them. “Oh, Sif! I am glad I shall have you for a daughter at last. And you Loki,” She pulled away and just far enough that she could place a kiss on his brow. “I expect you to birth me a granddaughter. Understood?”

-Sif gave him an odd look but she assured Frigga that they would. Loki tried to keep himself from cringing when he said, “Family jest.”

Loki's sedate lifestyle changed nearly overnight. Rather than spend his days pouring over books and thinking of amusements, he found himself spending his hours with his mother. Frigga had detailed records of her own wedding and Loki found himself having to patiently explain that no, they would not be using earth tones. Water colors worked best with Sif's coloring. No mother, Loki wasn't going to try and talk Sif into wearing a dress if she declined. He tried his best to focus on the festivities because otherwise, he worried about his father.

The Norns still refused to renegotiate their trade agreement with Asgard despite Odin's demands that the  
people involved in the conspiracy to destroy Asgard's magical wall and rebuild it with lethal enchantment that would have place their people at the Norn Queen's mercy. The Norn had been denying involving for many years, only conceding to refute the known conspirators passage into Asgard.

With all the time Loki was spending with his mother, he saw first-hand how badly the negotiations were draining Odin's strength and patience. The Norns had sent a pair of werewolves as their diplomats, and Loki found their taste for live flesh very distasteful. He used his status as second son to hide way with Sif for meals in their Quarters together.

“I know it will outrage Mother to be forced sit by Volstagg instead of Hogun, but isn’t it cruel to stick Fandral with Sygin? There is no lost love between us, but last time she was near Fandral, she played mind games until he wept,” Sif pointed at the seating chart. “We should place him by Tyr instead.”

“I never liked TYr. He has a hatred for animals that I find unnerving," Loki drew a line over Tyr's name and instead placed Tyr beside Sigyn. He would make an amusing toy for her. If only he could unleash her emotional trickery towards the Norn. "Do you think we should take care of the Norns for Father? If this worries him so much, he may grow vulnerable. With all his scrying, he may not last until our wedding without falling into Odin sleep." Loki took another glance at the papers and then gave up, placing them back on the table. Between the setting chart and his father, he was beginning to feel the beginning of a headache.

He pushed the short table away from where he sat cross legged beside Sif. The motion made her inkwell splash a little on the ironwood.

Sif startled and then leaned closer to Loki from her own seat beside him. "I didn't realize this worried you so." The firelight fell on half her face and cast concern on her that shone in two tones. This was the softest he'd ever seen her. No scowl or fear or brash tones or delight glinting in the corner of her eyes. He had never seen this Sif before, soft and caring, and he wasn't even surprised that he loved this Sif as deeply and fiercely as he loved all his variations of Sif.

She covered her mouth, and closed her eyes to think for a moment before putting one hand over Loki's cheek and saying, "I think it's time I help you relax. Would you trust me?" She pulled her hand away and placed it on his chest, pushing hard so that he sprawled backwards.

"What you are- Sif, the rules-" Loki tried to stammer but Sif cut him off as she moved to straddle his legs.

She reached down and unbuttoned his shirt slowly, focusing her attention on Loki. "The rules applied to our courting. We to be wed. The formalities no longer apply and you need something. I need to give you something."

Sif ran her nails down his chest and Loki just let go.

The doors swung open, letting light into the space and making Loki squint to recognize the face.

“Brother, need you sit in my wardrobe?” Thor asked as he made a face. "Could you not do your greatest thinking in another location? You sit on my clean loincloths. I do require clean underclothes on occasion."

Loki shrugged, "Semantics." Thor’s wardrobe was a small dark space with clean comfortable cushion and was a place no one would ever search for him. “I have a plan to settle things with the Norns. You could go to our father, ask to be sent on a diplomatic mission to negotiate with them, and we set a trap to destroy their access to the rainbow bridge once Heimdall brought us back. If they can't negotiate with any other realms, then they can not enact revenge on us. If we do this as I plan, it will not even appear to be of our fault, but of the fault of their rebels."

Thor cheered immediately. “Let me grab my axe.”

As Loki expect, Father was overjoyed to see Thor volunteer for more mature diplomatic work, instead of merely offering to break open everyone's head with his beloved axe. It takes a few weeks of negotiating but Thor manages to convince their father that he can select an appropriate delegation. Loki had hinged the plan on Thor being earnest enough that Odin would not have him swear an oath to leave Loki in Asgard. It went without saying that Loki was never to go to Norn, like gravity itself really, except for the part where Loki broke rules as easily as he breathed.

He could not pack himself without raising suspicions so instead he sneaked his own clothes into Thor's saddle bags when he and his mother repacked them. Thor could not be counted on to pack appropriately for anything. Once, when father took them on a fortnight's tour of the realms, they discovered Thor had packed a ferkin of wine and his own weight in salted meat.

Loki slipped a manuscript of encoded spell notes into a rucksack, and pleaded off catering choices by claiming that he had a headache Mother, and really, wasn't it best that he rest for a bit and look over his language studies while he rested?

He made it to the palace gates by high noon. The Blunders three had enough horses for all of them and Sif gave him her silly, energetic wave, but Loki paused at the edge of the group to try and figure out what was wrong with the picture. It took a moment for Loki to notice Hogun was the only one with mismatching saddle bags and his largest saddle bag full and hanging heavy with a strange bundle that moved just slight.

Loki gave Sif a quick kiss on the cheek and walked past her to reach into the saddle bags. He opened it wide enough to confirm his suspicions and then he reached in with both hand to pull out a very small boy, pale like the moon with cold green eyes and a wild mane of hair. Of course, Sleipnir would find out. Volstagg and Fandral didn't understand the concept of discretion and Sleipnir spent too much time skulking around in the shadows.

“Let me go! Let me go!" Sleipnir yelled, kicking his legs in the air until Loki placed him on the ground. Loki kept a hand on him though, just in case he would try to run off. Sleipnir gave him a hateful look, round childish cheeks going ruddy with rage, "I'll tell Odin on you if you don't let me go."

“You will tell him what? That you tried to sneak along to a diplomatic mission when you are grounded for biting Bragi’s face," Loki shot back. It was true. Sleipnir was normally kept as far from Asgard society as possible, but when Bragi came in to try and break in Odin's overly protected young colt, Sleipnir bit his face and then shift to his human form to hide instead of fetching help. Loki's father had raged over that one. It had ruined relations with the Merchant's Guild.

Sleipnir did not give an inch. “You're going to Norn. I heard them talking in the stable. I also overheard Mother talking to Thor. Did you know that's where my real father is?" Loki felt his blood go cold. He had given his son to his parents at birth to avoid this mess in the first place. He didn't want to explain himself and he certainly never wanted to face Svaoilfari at the demands of a child. When the child spent more time as a colt than a boy, he definitely didn't want to watch his flesh and blood grow into the face of his rapist. "You knew! You knew and you didn't tell me- I loathe you Loki. I'll cut out your tongue."

Sleipnir looked like he was on the verge of screaming or crying, both of which Loki was unprepared to deal with. Thor though, simply lifted the boy up and threw him over his shoulder, making shushing noises. They had never hidden Sleipnir's adoption from him, only his parentage and for that Loki had no regrets, even if he behaved like a terror most of the time from Odin and Frigga's stubborn silence.

Sif watched Sleipnir and Loki for a moment before leaning into his space until her nose pressed against his temple. "He looks like you."

"That he does."

Her voice was calm, much calmed than Loki himself felt. "No one outside of the Royal Family knows why Norn relations are tense and why there is a demand for the deaths of certain Norns."

Loki closed his eyes and tried to think of the calm he felt beneath her hands, anything really to stop rage that was coming over."

"I'm going to kill Svaoilfari for you." She added.

In that moment, Loki knew beyond a doubt that the stallion would not die at his hands, but instead at hers. He hadn't known that was an option. He swallowed and leaned against her for a moment to draw himself together.

"Well," he drawled, "as intriguing as this family scandal is, we should continue. We are going to be late and who knows how they feel about such matters." He looked over to where THor was gently rubbing circles in Sleipnir's back and felt a stab of jealousy, "And do stop weeping. You're obviously still family and since you're the littlest next to Baldur, I'm sure the Norn will spoil you rotten. Nobody even likes him and he's family."

Baldur coughed. "I'm right here, Loki. Right here." Loki bristled but before he could snap back a retort, Baldur added, "Father insisted someone who is actually skilled in diplomacy and not just wide scale destruction be added to the diplomatic party. That and Mother told him I need to get out more."

After a few more minutes of sniping at each other and distracting Sleipnir for his temper tantrums, they all settled on their steeds to cross the rainbow bridge and onwards til Norn, with Sleipnir on Thor's horse to keep each other distracted.

Heimdall let them pass, horse and all, and after a brief moment of blinding travel, the eight of them arrive in waist deep snow in front of a glittering castle. Dozens of giants, witches, hags, werewolves, vampires, gnomes, red caps, badgers, wolves, minotaurs, demons, and hell beats of all sorts stood in the courtyard surrounded by terrified stone statues. In the center was a throne where a woman as terrifying as she was beautiful sat with dead white skin.

"Hello, sons and daughter of Buri and Princes of Asgard," she said. "I am Queen Janis. Welcome to Narnia." The court laughed a terrible laugh together and Loki felt the hair on the back of his neck rise.

There, at her right hand was Svaoilfari.

She rose from her throne and approached them, arms spreading wide like a matriarch. Loki told himself to focus on her. Her gown glittered with ice shaped like diamonds. The only reason Loki knew the difference was because he recognized the spell. It was a more impressive than diamonds would have been.

He gestured for everyone to dismount but Thor remained on his horse, gripping the reins between his hands. Now he chooses to me useless, Loki though. He reached towards Sif for strength and grasped her hand. "Get him down," he whispered, and walked to the head of the group.

"I greet you, Queen Janis and people of Norn, with the best wishes of Asgard as Loki, son of Odin. This," he said, gesturing towards Baldur, giving his brother a calculating look. Baldur, recognizing the expression, widened his eyes in horror. "...is my brother, Thor and favored Heir. We come bearing our friends," he gestured towards their warriors, "and our half-wit brother Baldur," he gestured towards Thor, "to play nursemaid to our youngest brother Sleipnir. It is his first voyage away from Asgard, so please pay Baldur no mind" He gave a humble smile and bowed before her, careful to incline the exact distance permissible for a Prince greeting a Queen and no more.

The Queen laughed, a tinkling enchanting laugh that was traced with an actual enchantment to put them at ease. Loki was impressed, enough that he felt at ease to take the liberty of reaching for the Queen's hand and placing a kiss atop her fingers. He made sure to leave a hint of his own favored charm spell, to see if she would get the joke.

When he stepped back, she saw her break into her own smile, one that showed too many teeth to be anything but real and predatory. "I do believe this shall be a very interesting trade negotiation. Tonight, we feast and make merry. Tomorrow, we will begin the talks at mid-morning. Please take the afternoon to settle in your quarters and enjoy the countryside."

Loki bowed again and he hoped the others would take their cue from him. A dwarf was summoned to take them into the castle. When their party walked through the courtyard, Loki took great care not to react when Svaoilfari smirked at him and blew a kiss. Sif kept a careful distance from him until after they had settled in their chambers.

"Loki, you owe me a great deal of explanation," Sif locked the door and dragged him to the section of the room farthest from windows or doors.

Loki so loathed these situations. Couldn't everyone figure out these things for themselves? It ruined the little mirth he had when he changed plans. "Thor was sitting there like a half-wit instead of greeting the Queen. Besides, even if no one likes Baldur, he is the only one who knows anything of trade. If we want to make this look real, we have to do it right and that means actually negotiating trade."

Sif gave him a pointed look, "And?"

"The Queen is a witch. I wanted to make it clear that we would be aware of any magic she used on us, and thus any overt magic placed on any of us would be considered an act of war." Loki knew Sif was a jealous sort of lover, and hoped that was her last question. There was too much to weigh on the plan. Too many alterations and now he had to spend the evening carefully reconstruction his plan by thought.

Thor was not as charming as Baldur, but Baldur was terribly Dull. He could keep Baldur entertaining the Queen and use the excuse of Thor being a half-wit to slip away from the talks and begin placing spell components for his explosion around the castle. Sif's presence would be sufficient to smother any words of marriage. The blunders could monitor Sleipnir. Thor was bound to be over-protective now that they knew where Svaoilfari stood. So long as the Queen was distracted, they had a decent chance of accomplishing this.

Sif uncrossed her arms and sighed. "What happened the year your parents sent you away? That was when Norn first made contact with us?"

Even though he had known this day would come, he wished it hadn't happened here.

Loki began the story where it began, with the war of the Frost Giants. Their defeat had been swift but it had been followed by dozens of Jotun parties who did their best to destroy Asgard one piece at a time. One of the group had managed to wear down a portion of the mystical defense barriers that protected Jotunheim from the eyes of seers and spies. It magnified Heimdall's ability to see all, so that he could see through enchantments and let none save the permitted pass into Jotunheim. With the partial destruction of the barrier, Jotunheim was vulnerable.

Odin found a magician in the young realm of Norn with the skill to rebuild the wall in his travels. He was hired to repair the fence. Everything seemed to be going well until Thor noticed something strange in Jotunheim's horizon and brought Loki's attention to it, for when through they had barely left childhood and were not yet men, Loki surpassed all in the kingdom in his studies of enchantment. When Loki examined the physical bases for the mystical wall, he discovered that the enchantments were slowly being keyed to someone else, someone outside of Asgard. It was being layers beneath bricks of spells, so subtle it was difficult to notice. It was too subtle to be Jotunheim, and it felt like magic Loki had never seen.

Odin didn't believe them when they went to him with their story and so Thor and Loki took it upon themselves to end the treachery. The builder was protected by a horse who was twice as strong as any normal horse and assisted with the enchantments. Loki would lure the stallion away by posing as a mare and Thor would steal the evidence from the builder's hut out by the physical base of the mystical wards.

It wasn't until after Loki had lured the horse into the woods that he discovered the horse was an enchanter with magic stronger than his. When he spelled himself faster than a normal mare, the foreign horse grew another set of legs and chased him down in minutes. In a short matter of time, Loki found himself being mounted by the stallion repeatedly. The horse had found the entire venture amusing and had whispered his name and his amusement at having caught such a pretty distraction. Any fool knew that a stallion would chase down a stallion for a fight, but only a whore at heart would turn himself into a mare as a distraction. As a final insult, the horse turned himself into a man with a rainbow mane and dead eyes (the builder's apprentice) who laughed at Loki, frozen in place by his spellwork until he grew bored and left. The spell wore off soon after but it became clear that Loki could not turn back.

Thor brought the evidence to their father who slew the builder. In death the builder's body reverted to that of a Frost Giant. His apprentice, the horse Svaoilfari, was not found again. Norn claimed ignorance of any wrong doing, claiming cultural differences had led to Svaoilfari mounting a foreign mare. Odin could have demanded his death had he admitted his son had been the mare, but Loki had felt so ashamed at the time that he begged his father's silence. Odin gave in only when it became clear that Loki had a child growing within and that the pregnancy would be difficult. Eleven months later, Loki gave birth to a black pelted horse with a rainbow mane who shifted shaped almost without effort into the form of a black haired human babe. He begged his parents to take the child as their own and then refused to have anything to do with it. He tried to pretend that Sleipnir didn't exist as much as possible.

"As far as I am concerned, that child is my brother. A horrible spoiled beast of a brother but he is not mine," he said, suddenly feeling drained from the tale. He was pleased he had insisted on moving them to the bed for the talk. He had spent so much time keeping Sleipnir from his thoughts that he was surprised to find the memories still hurt him deeply.

They sat in companionable silence until Sif snuggled closer to him, still in her armor. "This plan will work." She curled her hand over his wrist and he hoped that she would be enough to ground him when tomorrow would come. If Svaoilfari was truly the Queen's closest adviser, he would need all his cunning and all of Sif's strength to maintain his dignity and his treachery.

Loki awoke feeling stiff. He had drifted off in bed in full garb and when he tried to sit up, he found it rather difficult. Sif had grasped him in his sleep and she clung to him. It was much like Thor with his stuffed bear as a child, only Thor salivated in his sleep and Sif did not. He was rather fond of the difference.

He reached toward her hair and touched it against the pillow. She had been so fair haired when they were children and it darkened to black rather quickly once they were old enough to scream insults at one another and throw sticks. On one memorable occasion, Loki remembered talking her into cutting off her hair, though she had insisted on keeping it around Volstagg's neck as a necklace so she wouldn't lose it.They had been so ridiculous when they were young.

Now, things were slightly more complicated. Loki could wake her now and have a morning with her, or he could let her sleep and enjoy a moment where she was completely at peace, and touch her in all the ways they couldn't when they were surrounded by Thor and his friends.

Alas, as much as he would love to listen to her sleep mumble, they had to rise. He had to plan the day's delegation talks on top of having a system of escape so the work itself. Seven different spells, each innocuous unless they were threaded together with an eighth spell that worked as both a timer and a trigger. Each one requires a slightly different placement for everything to go as planned. That meant the ability to walk away without disrupting peace-talks. If Baldur was going to play Thor and do the heavy lifting, and Thor was a half-wit and ...the child being too young for political work, there was a chance that the Queen might try to negotiate a marriage...

Loki could curb that nicely with Sif's scent but how to make sure the werewolves smelled her scent on him but not his scent on her...making it clear where his role fit in this relationship to avoid confusion about Mistresses.

Sif stirred in her sleep and Loki shifted to a more comfortable position. If she was waking, he might as well be there and comfortable when she woke.

Her eyes opened slowly, squinting in the terrible light and she shivered. "The day your mischief takes us to a desert is the day we are doomed," she groaned. "Why must we always arrive in dead winter? I am not rested at all." She tried to pull Loki closer only for her armor to slink against his decorated court clothes.

The sound made Loki smile and tilt his head forward just so, so that their noses were pressed together. "Good morn, you," he said.

She bit her lip as she grinned, "Good morn, betrothed. Have I time to sneak into my quest chambers unseen or should we be married in this game of intrigue?" This of course, referring to the many outrageous relationship claims they made during their courtship. When they visited the dwarves, sometimes she was Sygin, his wife. Sometimes she was Enchantress, his slave-owner.

Their favorite, much to Thor's outrage, was when she changed into men's clothes and introduced herself as Baldur...with great incestuous tones in her relationship with Loki. Not that it scandalized any Asgard citizens. After the asphyxiation sex story leaked, no one could look at mistletoe the same way. To be fair, Loki couldn't look at mistletoe either.

"No, Sif," Loki said. "She's been a queen longer than her world has been alive. You don't carry Odin's marks and I don't carry yours so anything other than an engagement would be seen as a farce. But, if I could have your scent on me without you bearing mine, then the werewolves would tell her that I am yours."

Sif groaned and startled to peel off the last of her armor with the jerky motions of the ill-rested. "I touch you all the time - there's no way that such a thing could be done."

Loki smirked and crawled backwards until he could lick her navel through her undershirt.

"That scent?" Sif said, propping her body up on her shoulders. Her eyes took on a glint of amusement. "Well, I suppose if you must...No hands. I do not wish them to receive the wrong idea about your place."

"Of course," Loki said. His day was growing more delightful already.

Sif and Loki left for Thor’s chambers to meet with the others before breakfast.

“How long do I must stay like this? I hate having two feet,” Sleipnir whined. He had changed from his own proper tunic into one of Thor's shirts, so large it hung like a dressing grown and the sleeves looked more like cloth bat-wings. His grubby hands made it clear he hadn't washed up either.

Thor was nearly as bad, still in his own dressing gown. "Of course Thor is going to breakfast. He's getting dressed. As I am not Thor, your half-wit brother," Thor shot Loki a death glare, "...am going to keep Sleipnir company and keep him from doing something reckless."

Loki had a horrifying image of Sleipnir wandering the castle and demanding to know from different people if they knew who his mother was or where to find Svaoilfari or worse, he could see Sleipnir changing shapes in the woods without realizing that even the trees were spies in the realm of Norn. Loki stammered his thanks as Baldur ran into the room red faced.

"What are you doing? The timepiece says we have less than five to gather in the banquet hall and I need Thor's signet ring and things. I can't be him without the seal," Baldur wrung his hands until everyone started to dig through the trunks to see if they remembered to pack the damn things in their haste. They found the seals and rings in a sack of jerked fish a bit later and managed to walk out in time to be only slightly late.

The banquet hall itself was nearly as dark and disturbing in the early sunlight as it had been the night before. Like the courtyard, it too was filled with statues of all kinds of people and animals in various expressions of surprise and terror.

The Queen waited for them in her throne. Even her servants had cruel expressions to match her handful of courtiers. Loki was grateful when he found the table empty of Svaoilfari. He left Baldur the seat at Queen Janis' left hand, taking himself a seat to his younger brother's left, with Sif beside him and Hogun next to her. Volstagg and Fandral stayed behind with Thor and the brat. Not Loki's ideal choice. Fandral's charm and womanizing would have been suitable, but something about Hogun's blatant discomfort seemed to fascinate the younger court people just as much, if not more than Fandral's flirting the evening before.

Baldur kept up the weight of the conversation, telling her humorous anecdotes of Thor's life in Asgard ("Mother had to leave the room to laugh without offending the Jotunheim War Veterans. I got a sound scolding for it but Loki got off entirely.") and peppering his stories with interesting Norn customs ("I heard they wear veils in Colormene so thin the people appear as if standing in colored light...").

Loki made sure to drop an occasional charming jest so as to appear dedicated. Mostly he tried to calculate distance locations. Every drop space had to be an equal distance to their bridge space... It would take a bit of work, but he would be able to manage so long as he could get to six today. Six, four, then two..

As the servants began to whisk away the food, Loki pretended not to notice as one of the servers took a deep breath between Sif and Loki and then did a double take. Loki watched the boy discretely whisper something in the Queen's ear a few minutes later as he refilled her water goblet. The Queen's expression did not change in the slightest.

She would be a great opponent. Loki watched her wave her hand and disappear all remaining food on the table. An impressive piece of spell work that left all fruit centerpieces in place, although, when Loki examined further, it appeared every centerpiece was a different kind of apple.

"Now for business. If you will give us a few minutes, I will gather my political and economic advisers. A shame that you belong to another, young Prince Loki, or else I might have needed to inquire bride-prices." Her smile was cool as she presented the ungiven information, clearly a ruse to unnerve their negotiations with the suggestion of spies, but Loki no green trickster.

Neither was Baldur, who did most of the dull ambassador work for Asgard as their father was far too impatient from a warrior's temperament to negotiate caldron bottom regulations. Baldur let out his own charming laugh, which Loki was impressed for see was impossible to spot as false. He knew for a fact that Baldur's true laugh sounded like a very irritating donkey bray.

"Well, if you are willing to wait, Sleipnir looks like he might just grow into a fine Prince," Baldur said with his own smile, and then he gestured for Hogun to bring him the papers and seals to begin negotiating.

The thought of Sleipnir leaving them behind for Norn- for Svaoilfari- made Loki reach for Sif's hand under the table. After a couple seconds of groping, he felt her grab his hand tight. After a couple seconds, she thread her fingers through his and squeezed until his bones ached. "Thank you," he whispered, false smile and attention still pretending to be focused on the Queen.

When Svaoilfari came in, low smirk and swagger in his human form. In the sunlight, he looked almost handsome, even with the scarring at the corners of his mouth from wearing bridles. "My apologies, my Queen." He bowed towards her, and then towards Baldur and Loki, smirking all the while. "Have the negotiations started?"

Loki felt himself go cold when Svaoilfari pulled a chair for himself directly across from Baldur. One of the serving werewolves brought forth papers and an ink pot.

"Nonsense, old friend," Queen Janis said. "We couldn't possibly think of beginning without you."

Baldur passed Loki a copy of the original trade agreement and Loki wondered if she had orchestrated the whole thing or- no, no, she must have wanted to scare him away from the negotiation hall. Even so, it gave Loki a reason to leave. "If you will excuse me, I find myself in need of a washroom."

He waited until he tilted her head in permittance and he got up with carefully controlled movements. He would go to the washroom first and send an illusion to his room so any tail would follow the illusion. It would hopefully buy him the minutes he would need to begin the work.

**Author's Note:**

> So my very vague memory of the plot was Loki being force to Negotiate with Svaoilfari and the White Witch to build a peace treaty. Loki tells Sif his dark secret, that Sleipnir it actual his child from an unwanted dalliance. Some court intrigue etc, but the important thing was Loki stealing the rings that allow for him to pass in the paths between worlds and for their engagement to be formalized but their wedding post poned while Loki works through some things.


End file.
